


The Desired Effect

by Spacecarrots



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Family Feels, M/M, Minor Violence, Short & Sweet, Song Lyrics, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bc the other aerialbots are not as stupid as they look, firebolt - Freeform, im obsessed with Brendan Flowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 22:30:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4454864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacecarrots/pseuds/Spacecarrots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Silverbolt and Skyfire are clueless and think the other aerialbots don't know, but they do know, and they know they don't know and think they don't know they know...?????</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Between me and you (Air Raid)

It was obvious from across the crowded hull of the ark, within the first second of optic contact. It was like a big red sticker plastered across Silverbolt’s face screaming “take me now!”. They were huddled together around Silverbolt, like a water buoy, sticking as close as possible to him so not to get swept away by the ocean of mechs leaving after Optimus' little congratulations speech of their “Uniq, yet successful efforts in defeating the Megatron’s giant purple gryphon”. Air raid was looking out at the mechs that gave them dirty looks, giving them smug smirks when they glowered and muttered. But then Silverbolt froze in his exit finding they all felt the jolt of surprise and simultaneously looked in the direction of interest.

 

 

Air Raid pushed up on tip toes so that he was at shoulder high with his brother and able to look out across the valley of helms. There like a freaking ship in the night was another mech. The only other mech who was taller than all in the crowd. A mech as large as he was tall in both wing span and size, watching the bots moving past him curiously. Silverbolt stared, transfixed, shocked, awed, and judging by the pull at one corned of his sausage lips, a little turned on. There was a pulse of a thought, or more a feeling, through their connection, something that could only be voiced as “I have to talk to him.” Then wordlessly he began to move toward him. Everyone stayed put, glancing at each other curious of the mech that dared be taller than Silverbolt. It was half way to this giant, that their optics met. That was when Air Raid knew. The crowed had thinned and the look that crossed the other mechs face, said it all. The tiniest gape as he approached. Being the closet romantic that he was, Air Raid most definitely did not tell Silverbolt of how picture perfect it had been seeing them stop in front of each other, the way they’d broken the cliché love story meter with “The stranger on the other side of the room” trope. Well maybe he had, but it had came out more as “What a dork.” It was the larger mech that spoke first, offering the gentlest of smiles and the softest of greetings.

 

“Hello.” He said, optics locked on Silverbolt’s, with this look, this look of peace, like a lost puppy that had finally found a home.

 “Silverbolt.” His idiot brother smiled back, all doe eyed and amazed. Looking like he might just burst with smiles and laughter at this mech. He’d argue it was all physical appreciation, that maybe he hadn’t realised how lonely it was being bigger than them. He could argue all he wanted.

 

“Skyfire.” He said.

“Skyfire.” Silverbolt repeated quietly, as if to taste the sound and experiment the word. That was when Air Raid knew.


	2. I Can Change (Skydive)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skydive witnesses history in the making except not really.

Within the short time that they’d existed, Silverbolt had proven himself stubborn, stuck in his ways, and on occasion blindly determined. He worked on and off double the shifts they did, and spent the excess of his time looking after Skydive and the others. Skydive didn’t agree with his work ethic and his obvious attempts at impressing the mechs of higher command, but it worked. After all he did have much to make up for in his opinion and always seemed to be apologising for something. But then Skydive decided to leave his door open a crack. His room got stuffy, being so close to the hanger heaters and it provided a pleasant breeze while he read. This pleasantry was short lived however when someone pushed open the door to their quarters, wafting in air from outside that chilled him to the hydraulics. Angry foot steps and heated voices let him know of the disagreement someone was having.

“Why must you always do this!” Skyfire, sounding frustrated and hurt. He stormed in, before turning to the offending mech. Skydive saw Silverbolt and Skyfire by the front entrance through the gap of his bedroom door. Skyfire with his arms and fists held tight against his side. Silverbolt with his arms outstretched, wary, wanting to comfort him, but held back by knowing he’d done wrong. “You sometimes make me wonder why you’re my friend at all."

“Skyfire I’m sorry.” Silverbolt pleaded, bitting his lip as he always did when he was trying to hold back and failing. “I can change.” He blurted out, stepping toward Skyfire almost begging. “I can change, for you. I can be different, better, I’ll be whatever you want…Skyfire.”

“What?” Skyfire said quietly.

“I can change.” He repeated quietly, so quietly that Skydive strained to hear, so quietly he almost missed the tremor in his voice. “I can be smarter so you can talk to me more about all the things you love and know the-the things you like. I can be whatever you want.”

Skyfire seemed to ponder this before saying in that matter-of-fact, soft spoken voice,“But what if what I want is you. As you are.” Silverbolt looked at him now, a deep frown burnt into his fore helm. 

“Skyfire...I’m so sorry. I just wanted to impress you, you’re so interesting, and wonderful and I wanted to be the kind of person you…you wanted.” Silverbolt seemed to shrink then, hugging himself and refusing to look at Skyfire. It was strange, to see a Silverbolt so willing and desperate that he’d offer to change his ways, ways that everyone had tried to sway, walls they’d tried to alter, but every time had failed. Until now.

“That’s insane.” Was all Skyfire said, smiling and shaking his head. “Aren’t you listening to me. That’s absurd.”

“Skyfire I’m sorry-”

“Stop apologise.” Silverbolt had never looked so vulnerable, and it was obvious not just to his brother who felt the storm of emotions hidden within his side of the bond, but to Skyfire who took his servos. “You’re already wanted.” Skyfire said finally. “I mean I already want-I mean I…” Skyfire sighed and gentle cradled Silverbolt’s servos in his own. "I don’t want you to change.” Then he did something Skydive did not expect. He placed a soft kiss to Silverbolt’s lips. So gentle and careing that they both seemed stivk in some other world together, a place where only the other existed. “Please don’t ever change.” He breathed. Silverbolt focused then on Skyfire’s face as if he’d sweat away the storm in his spark with one soft kiss. This was when Skydive knew. He didn’t need to see the way Skyfire kissed him again just to taste him smile, or Silverbolt’s laughter when he kissed him back. He didn’t need to be linked to him. He just know.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this song. It's so questionable. Why would you try to be anything you weren't for someone that doesn't want you but at the same time change is inevitable, especially in a relationship. This always raises so many questions for me so obviously I made an entire short about my OTP based around this song, and idk making more trouble. Bc now it begs the question is Skyfire afraid of change because of what Starscream became over time? Does he want Silverbolt to stay exactly the same?forever?? Is this toxic???? bc Silverbolt will most certainly change, maybe the real question here is if Skyfire is willing to change too?? but anyway good luck sleeping tonight after this mess.


	3. I Still Want You (Slingshot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moody Slingshot being moody. Big surprise.

Slingshot was offended. Nothing new there, but God how stupid did they think he was. Silverbolt had a tendency to believe he was “mysterious.”, that he could actually keep things from them. When it was plainly clear he was an could do anything but. Slingshot also had a good eye for idiots.

 

It was late, early morning sort of late when one tries to pretend their asleep so you can’t guiltily watch the rising sun. The sort of early morning hours you achieve through an all night party. At least this booth was comfy. Slingshot was half asleep when he became ticked. He was firstly stirred by someone putting on quiet music, then by laughing. More specifically Silverbolt laughing. Something so rare you had to wake up just to know where that dying animal noise was coming from. He glared in the direction of the a particularly disturbing giggle-snort, to see Skyfire attempting the lasso dance move and pretending to pull Silverbolt toward him. Silverbolt played along, shuffling up to the grinning shuttle. It was weird to say the least. They were both so bad and too busy trying not to laugh at one another that Slingshot almost blew his cover. It was hardly “dancing", but Skyfire held Silverbolt around the waist, starring into his optics like none of that mattered. They both wore the biggest and most unapologetic grins of pure enjoyment.

 

When Slingshot had first seen Skyfire, he’d gotten the impression that that guy was really lonely. From all the bffs he seemed to have on base, the mech was always just that little bit too nice, slightly guarded, and sad when no one looked. But ever since Silverbolt had forced, or as the mighty commander insisted “invited”, Skyfire into their autobot rejects club, that had all slowly withered away. Slingshot suspected it wasn’t all gone, but it was going. Especially around Silverbolt. Silver bolt wasn’t much better. He’d gone from long-suffering looks and deep sighing to being like a kid in a space nerd candy store, spring all these smiles, laughs, stupid ideas and disturbingly bashfulness. Where was the bashful Silverbolt when he was getting told of by Prowl or got sent to the brig. Slingshot was offended because for so long their brother seemed to think that no one was noticing the subtle way they joined hands under the table. Like no one could see how they hugged like two half’s of a whole. How Silverbolt went on and on about “Skyfire this” and “Skyfire that” like he’s the greatest this since sliced bread. You didn’t need to be Einstein to know that when Skyfire asks if Silverbolt would like [insert souvenir/flower/a fragging rock one time] that you’re really part of some squishy romantic gift shopping spree. It was offensive because Slingshot knew and they pretended like he didn’t.

 


	4. Can't Deny My Love (Fireflight)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tfw you realise Silverbolt and Skyfire are Faline and Bambi...

Once the Aerialbots watched Bambi. It was pretty cute and had fluffy animals in it. Also it was old so Skydive stayed, and it had guns so Slingshot stayed, and had fighting so Air raid stayed. Little victories are the best victories, especially when everyone you love is there. 

 

But this was after Bambi and in the middle of a fire fight. They were pined down in a crater, one of them had blasted. Low on fuel and ammunition, covered in all manner of wound, energon, and dirt, trying to keep the con’s back for as long as possible. They heard him before they saw him. Skyfire. Rumbling across the sky, and blasting those trying to sneak up on them. As he got closer the more the enemy fire increased, now in his direction, forcing him to take evasive action. The shuttle landed in a big plum of dust and quickly over run by Decepticons. Fireflight saw one mech charged him as soon as he landed with a loud battle cry. Skyfire, in his sleek helmet, cooly grabbed the charging mechs blaster, using the butt to crack their jaw and sending them faceplate first to the ground. No sooner did he defeat this mech, did another come up behind him, jumping up and latching their arms around his neck. But Skyfire simply took a hold of the cons wrist joints, throwing and flinging them. “We’ve gotta help him!” Air Raid exclaimed to them.  

 

With Skyfire as the target the Aerialbots were free to watch the show in growing panic. Though Fireflight particularly expressed his enjoyment when Skyfire did some strange movement of weaving his arms around a cons, only to take hold of their chest plaits and head but them. Well not all the Aerialbots. Silver bolt had disappeared. Reappearing in the form of a ninja football player, catching up to a mech running toward the shuttle, grabbing his helm and stopping so suddenly that the mech fell forward, all the speed of their sprinted attack felt as his faceplates hit the ground with a crash of mud and energon. Skyfire turned to see Silverbolt roll, and stand. They were back to back, surrounded by at least a dozen cons, and exhausted. Fireflight knew when they cleared their attackers down from twelve to six, and then watched as they worked together to cut down the rest. It was almost like a show or a movie. It reminded him of the graceful dear that pranced across the meadow in Bambi. Beautiful but terrifying. As Silverbolt fought with his fists, so Skyfire shooting down any that may interfere. Twisting about each other, Silverbolt speed and Skyfire strength. As Skyfire crouched to reloaded, Silverbolt used him as a vault to launch himself onto the shoulders of a con like a gymnast. It crushed the mech under him with a twist of the legs. He fell back into Skyfire’s arms. Then with a nod Skyfire wielded him like a dance partner, spinning Silverbolt around so to use his heal thrusters to cook the last of their attackers.

 

They weren’t surprised when Skyfire threw Silverbolt in the air, and caught him in his arms. Nor were they surprised when Skyfire placed him down gently, as if he were made of porcelain. With the enemy defeated for now, Silverbolt traced a jagged cut in Skyfire’s armour, traced his jaw and said something the looked like a question. Skyfire nodded and put his servo on top on Silverbolt’s. They smiled and Fireflight didn’t need to lip read to know. He knew. He knew because Fireflight had watched Bambi and then asked Ratchet what was the big fuss about the ending? Ratchet had told him he’d get it when they was older. And Fireflight got it now. When they were safely back at base, they were deep in a kiss, at the spot where Skyfire had landed. Silverbolt holding Skyfire’s arms around his waist and kissing over and over, fit together like the notches of a cog, engrossed and in love. Fireflight knew, in the words of friend owl, they were twitterpated.

 


End file.
